RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court
yesterday Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III,
sentenced JONTEZ EDWARD ARTHUR, 21, of Vanceboro, North Carolina,
to 191 months imprisonment followed by five years supervised
release.

On June 29, 2011, a Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal
Indictment. On October 3, 2011, ARTHUR pled guilty to robbery of
a business engaged in interstate commerce, in violation of Title
18, United States Code, Section 1951, and possession of a firearm
in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, in violation of
Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).

According to the investigation, on September 18, 2010, ARTHUR and three other males,
entered the Five Points Mini Mart, in New Bern, North Carolina, wearing t-shirts covering their
faces. Three of the four carried firearms. Upon entering the store, two of the individuals fired their
weapons in the store clerk’s direction. While ARTHUR held the clerk at gunpoint, one of the other
individuals took money from the register. They then left the store. Law enforcement, responding
to the call, observed two individuals, one of them ARTHUR, walking near where the robbery had
occurred. When the officer tried to speak with the individuals, they took off running. The officer
followed. After a short distance, the officer apprehended ARTHUR. The officer retraced the path
of the chase and located a pair of sweat pants. In the pocket of the pants the officer found a .380
caliber handgun. Through forensic testing, it was learned that the handgun matched the casing found
in the store.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)
initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to
cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting
repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force (Wilmington) and the New
Bern Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane J.
Jackson prosecuted the case.

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